


Death is a heartache; Love is a memory

by tsundanire



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Heartbreak, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Memories, Violence, hint at mpreg (if you blink you miss it), mild depiction of wounds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 20:26:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16047935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsundanire/pseuds/tsundanire
Summary: Draco takes a walk in the woods.





	Death is a heartache; Love is a memory

**Author's Note:**

> So, I was feeling extremely angsty yesterday and wrote a piece called shattered (which I later posted to tumblr.) and had started working on this as well. There was a much darker ending originally planned, but thankfully [@Maesterchill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaesterChill) swooped in and guided me towards a bit of a happier ending :D You get all the kudos for helping get this piece in tip top shape, and you have my gratitude for dealing with my incessant chattering in DMs, and constant questions. This one's for you friend! Thanks for bearing through this with me!!

 

 

Draco stared into the dark abyss of the forest. He peered between the trees hoping to get some idea of where he was being led. It was stupid that he’d even allowed himself to get caught, and yet his mind had been so far away thinking about the upcoming holidays and all the plans he and Harry had for their first Christmas. 

 

Now it seemed like it wasn’t going to matter, because there didn’t seem to be a way out of this mess. He sent out a little prayer to whoever might be listening out there, and continued trudging through the slick mud.

 

“Keep going Malfoy.” A gruff voice behind him spoke, their wand pressing sharply at his spine. 

 

He did as he was asked, though Draco wondered what the point even was. If they were planning on killing him at the end, why wouldn’t he just fight a little and let them do their worst now? They’d already taken his wand, and had him bound at the wrists. 

 

Suddenly from ahead, spells fired out from an unknown assailant. Draco used the distraction to duck and roll into the brush, obscuring him from the view of his kidnappers. He tried to army crawl towards whoever seemed to be protecting him until he heard silence. No spells, no cracking of boots against dead leaves and branches. Only the kind of silence that preceded death, which Draco knew quite well thanks to his time at the Manor with the Dark Lord. Hoping that his protector had won this battle, Draco took a chance and peeked out from the brush. 

 

He saw the bodies of his attackers on the ground, and breathed out a sigh of relief. He pulled himself out of the brush, awkwardly bent to grab one of their wands, and quickly headed towards where the spells had shot out from. Sure, it likely wasn’t the best idea but Draco didn’t really have any other options at this point. He used the new wand to destroy the ropes binding his wrists and continued on. 

 

“Hello?” he called out, hoping to figure out where to go if they answered. Listening closely, he heard a wheezing sound and followed that. Whoever was out there was injured and likely needed help. 

 

The closer he got, the more something in his chest began to itch. The whole thing seemed off, like there was a piece of the puzzle he was missing and he didn’t know what. It wasn’t until he was standing over the body of his protector that he realised what. 

 

“No…. No no no nonono-” Draco felt his breathing constrict in his lungs, and it felt like ice was building up inside of him, threatening to overtake him if he didn’t wake up. But there was no waking up, Draco realised as he fell to the ground and tried to shake Harry awake. His boyfriend was covered in blood and open wounds, reminding Draco too much of their incident in sixth year. 

 

“No you can’t be gone. No Harry, NO!” Draco shouted out his Patronus, sending it off for help. What had once been a stunning unicorn, had now changed into a thestral, and it’s grotesque skeletal figure flew off into the night for help. It would take years for him to conjure his new Patronus again, and equally long before he could come to love it. 

  
  
  


The memory ripples at the edges and slowly fades to white, as Draco pulls his head out of the pensieve. 

 

For a moment he is disoriented. He hears a sound to his left, and whips around to see their son. The boy looks like an identical imprint of Harry, with his moppy black hair and openly tender expression. Just like his father, James wore his heart on his sleeve, which was yet another thing that reminded Draco of what he lost. What they both lost technically, Draco reminds himself as he looks into James’ grey eyes. Those were his own eyes staring back at him with concern and interest.

 

“Papa?” James frowns, slowly walking over and tugging on Draco’s robes. 

 

Draco bends down and scoops the boy up in his arms. “Yes baby?”

 

“Were you watching Daddy again?”

 

Draco doesn’t know how to answer, because he knows whatever he might say will impact their child, especially considering James never got to meet his ‘daddy’, and only knows him through memories shown to him by their friends. Until now, Draco has kept all of his memories of Harry to himself. But as he looks at James’ unyielding face, he knows it’s too selfish to keep them away from their son. 

 

“You know I love you right?”

 

James smiles, showing a hint of a single dimple in his right cheek. “Of course Papa, don’t be so silly.” James taps Draco lightly on the nose, the way Aunt Ginny often does to James when he pretends not to know something.

 

“I know you’ve seen your Dad from everyone else’s memories. But I’ve never shown you mine.”

 

James nods carefully, expression more suitable for someone far older, but he had always been a sharp kid. Even still, Draco can feel his child vibrate with excitement.

 

“Would you like to see mine now?” 

 

“Really, Papa?!” James practically shouts, his excitement almost tangible. 

 

Draco uses his wand, pointing it at his temple, and pulling out the memory of his and Harry’s first date. Of course, he’ll pull them out before the viewer rating skyrockets into R territory, but it’s a good memory to start with. And as they dive in, Draco can feel a hint of a smile on his face. 

 

Maybe instead of the dark, Draco can search through the light. Maybe this could be a new start for him, and a chance for him and James to heal together.  After all, Christmas had always been Harry’s favourite time of year, and what were the holidays if not for cherishing family?

 

END

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [Tumblr](https://breathofmine.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
